Best all-around laptop under $750?

Hi everyone, thanks in advance for the help 🙂

I'm feeling pretty stuck too. I'm looking for a laptop to replace my desktop. I'll be spending quite a bit of time on it, so I think I'd prefer a 17.3" screen. If possible, I'd love to find one in Indianapolis so I can actually see it in person before buying, and regarding the warranty, the better the better 🙂 I'm leaning toward Dell most, but that doesn't mean I'll buy it if there's something better for the same price. macOS or Windows, either way is fine.
I don't plan on gaming much, but I'd like to be able to play something occasionally if I feel like it. Mostly just web browsing and work—specifically using Adobe Illustrator—and maybe watching a movie or a series here and there.
I've been reading around online, and from what I gather, it might not be worth getting anything with a processor weaker than an i3. I guess I'd rather buy something decent now so it isn't obsolete in a short while.
Also, build quality is important to me. I want something solid that won't feel flimsy after opening it a few times.

I found a few options that caught my eye. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if they are worth it, or if I really need something this spec-heavy or if I could get away with something cheaper for what I need:
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One more thing—the difference in resolution between 1600x900 and 1920x1080, and the difference in graphics on the Dell models. I wonder if I'll even notice those, or if I should even bother worrying about them.

Sorry for the long post. The more I look into this, the more confused I get.😁 Thanks again for any help!

Look, if you’re actually using Adobe Illustrator—and I mean *actually* working, not just messing around when you feel like it—and you’re handling heavy-duty projects, the rules are the same for you as anyone else: you need a faster, multi-core processor, a GPU with plenty of CUDA cores, more RAM, and 4K resolution because that extra screen real estate is vital. And if you have the cash, don't skimp on the SSD.

The problem is cramming all that power into a 17" chassis without hitting a $5,000 price tag.

The perfect setups are probably way out of your budget, like:

Beyond having high-end HQ processors, these machines come loaded with massive amounts of RAM, beefy graphics cards, and lightning-fast drives. A slightly more affordable option might be this:

It hits almost every requirement, except the processor isn't an HQ model; it’s an undervolted U-series, but even then, it’s a solid 4-core chip.

For professional work, I wouldn't recommend anything less than that. Unfortunately, you won't find 17" laptops equipped with i5 H-series processors; those would be much more reasonably priced, but it seems like (at least here in the States) they only ship in 15.6" models.

If that's still too much of a financial hit, it might be smarter to go with a 15.6" 4K model to stay closer to your budget. If you spend any part of your workday at a desk, you can always just grab a 24" monitor to plug into the laptop so you aren't squinting at a tiny screen all day:

Thanks for the reply 🙂
Right now, I’m at work where I don't really use Adobe Illustrator at all, even though it’s part of my field (civil engineering). So, I just tinker with it whenever I feel like it, and mostly I just need it for 2D drafting. On my old computer, I was working on an i3 with 4GB of RAM and didn't run into any massive issues.
I'm planning to use this instead of a desktop, so I’d rather not buy an extra monitor if I don't have to. I won't be carrying it back and forth to the office; I'm just picking it up because it's easier to have in my apartment than a full desktop setup.
The models you suggested are honestly way out of my budget :/
Would this one work, since it seems to hit most of the specs? http://www.dell.com/en-us/search/product/example-link?
That’s basically my absolute limit for what I can spend.

Of course it can. Dell's F series laptops are solid machines and they'll serve you well. Sure, the processor isn't the fastest, but the GPU has enough CUDA cores to help out, so the overall performance won't be half bad... Just don't forget to register it within 15 days of purchase on the Dell website to snag those Dell promotions, then you're good to go. 👍

Great, I'll go ahead and order it then. Thanks so much 😁

Just one more thing. I'm wondering if it'll be an issue if the left and right clicks on this touchpad aren't separate physical buttons, but just integrated into the surface. Looking at more photos of the laptop now, and it looks like that might be the case here:

It won't work, you've got a boundary 😬 clearly visible...

darkowl72 said:It won't, I mean, you can clearly see the border 😬 right there...

Great, thanks 👍
I read somewhere that because they're integrated, the touchpad clicks might be imprecise. Apparently, while holding down a left or right click, the cursor drifts a little bit... so I was worried, but I guess if that isn't an issue, then it's fine.😁